WSJ's "Americas" columnist Mary Anastasia O'Grady talks with James Freeman about the tension between teachers unions in Mexico and newly elected President Enrique Peña Nieto. Photo: Associated Press.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the teachers unions in the nine states were tough to deal with ... here's the story Max go very Anastasia O'Grady I didn't and when I was reading your column about the hostage taking I ... thought I was a metaphor but ... they literally take hostages ... it's true that in the stadium each of kind the Union a labor union had very angry about the yes ... on that baby amendments to the Constitution which will change ... and basically the town ability of teachers ... and I he added took some hostages so this is of reforms in terms of of making it harder to get tenure and in Mexico tenure basically you graduate with a teaching degree in you have tenure for life ... that that's not the only thing I mean there's no comprehensive ... op exam process there's no evaluation process ... of promotions are given political ... base in really on politics ... and out you know one of the really ... amazing things is that our teachers are are are never ask it to getting a promotion to say principle or something like that ... there's no no performance if they have kept ... and achieve and also ... they are they have traditionally passed their jobs they can your job to relatives sometimes they sell their jobs their tenure Johnson another person ... so the quality of education you can imagine Heartland and for that other extremely low as you expect on the rankings of industrialized countries are or even ... not so industrial is ready to Islam ... okay so I ... in order to reform this are more Cooperman reform this terrible system ... hostage taking ... what it what it what else said they'd I mean we think of certain tough bargaining in the ... days I unions were sitting in the Wisconsin State House but this is really on a ... dead there really is no idle hands and if you remember from your art class D ignore it and then ... punched as it has been all over Africa it's ... not that still exists the next time I think it's most aam clearly exemplified in among the teachers unions ... so for example in the state get an elk ... I gave close down the road very important ... because for Mexico City Delco Pokemon David block that road whenever they're unhappy ... aam and and they actually I did quite a bit of ... vandalism and damage to the headquarters of the political parties and when the state legislature would not side with them ... and trying to push back against what is a federal lived a change in constitution ... that will require them to be more accountable ok this is ... this is a new president President Enrique Pena and yet celebrated slowed ... who was forced through these reforms to the legislature to go long on the teachers are resisting Admeld normally in a democracy with a more or less free media and think them unfairly five breadth of ... a free media there yet you would pay an enormous political for peace if you were ... going and ... taking hostages burden to them but I think it's ... shoving Road site is obviously I'm not laughing at the absurdity of horrible situation down one ... more thing welcoming some political pressure for them to stop this and then accept the reforms I think it's still an open question about that I mean that's what everybody is watching the president to see what he will do because ... I'm the one hand you have on Mexico that's modernizing ... and that means that they're in any educated people and if you're not educated in a big gap between the people are stuck behind growing ... in on little pots of Corinth and the people are working in the emerging aerospace industry in places like that that that now ... there's going to be a big gap there people I know ... that Max is known about this they wanna move up the food chain ... up on the other hand the unions are very powerful ... in a place linked to causing low which is the capital of Ghana and out of huge amount of the population works for the government ... mean think about Washington DC in the way is that federal workers though when they go to the polls ... so I'm that's can it be the struggle and I think one of TNGO than a mention on Icahn and make on the screen now ... big their idea is that the need to be an advocacy group for change and that includes educating Mexicans about how they're getting ripped off when it comes to education ... and I think that they can they can win that fight but I don't think it's that you now and that can cut and dried I think it you think about for example Scott Walker in Wisconsin ... me known was really sure whether the unions would be powerful enough to to to push back against him so it's an open question very well world will move of the reformers prevail and are just a reminder so eventually could do worse ... things for it ...